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dan deacon announces solo tour

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2009 |

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As everyone knows by now, Dan Deacon shows are completely looney tunes. You take a deep breath, shake off your self-consciousness, and never know what to expect. Will there be a massive London Bridges-style snake tunnel extending out of the venue? Will you win one of the impromptu dance-offs, or be put to shame by some ludicrous hipster doing a one-legged chicken dance? Will the Trippy Green Skull ever be knocked over, or will it stand forever, the vigilant flag of the off-the-wall electronic anthems that have won the rotund Baltimore virtuoso so many loyal fans? If you've never gone to one of Dan Deacon's signature fiascos, you owe it to yourself to find out.

One of the best things about Dan Deacon's flair for the ridiculous is that he's not afraid to try new and wacky things to liven up the tried and true stare-at-the-stage concert formula. He regularly breaks the fourth wall, playing on the floor instead of the stage, and not only encouraging but demanding audience participation and energetic dancing. As of late, he's been champing the Round Robin arrangement, where multiple bands set up simultaneously and take turns playing songs with little time in between, which keeps the crowd on their toes, eliminates the concept of an inferior "opener," and spares you those terrible set-up waits that plague most concerts. Before the infamous Dan Deacon/No Age/Deerhunter Round Robin, he did a Round Robin tour with a Baltimore-based entourage that included The Death Set, Video Hippos and Double Dagger.

Collaborations are great, but sometimes you just have to go it alone. This fall, Dan Deacon's doing a solo tour, boasting "expansion of [his] floor show set, immersive experience, heavy emphasis on visuals." Hopefully that last part doesn't mean another hour of tripped out Arnold Schwartzenegger footage, like in his Ultimate Reality tour. Come open-minded, play along, leave sweaty. Nina Mashurova